The Assessor's Office is responsible for determining the assessed value of more
than 97,000 parcels within the town for purposes of taxation. The office
continually updates ownership records through deed transfers. Physical data is
collected in order to maintain inventory records. This includes new construction,
demolition, apportionment and consolidation of real property.

The
Assessor's office is also responsible for the review and approval of all real
property tax exemptions which include STAR (Basic & Enhanced), Veterans,
Senior Citizen, Volunteer Firefighter & Ambulance Workers, Disability,
Religious & Not-for Profit, Home Improvement, Business, First-Time Home Buyer
and Agricultural. All applications and/or renewals for real property tax
exemptions must, by law, be filed with the Assessor's Office no later than March
1st of each year.

STAR
Exemptions:
(two types)

Basic STAR - Available for owner-
occupied, primary residences where the resident owners' and their spouses income
is less than $500,000 exempts the first $30,000 of the full value of a home from
school taxes.

Enhanced STAR - Provides an
increased benefit for the primary residences of senior citizens (age 65 and older)
with qualifying incomes exempts the first $65,300 of the full value of a home from
school taxes as of 2016-17 school tax bills (unchanged from 2015-16)

STAR exemptions apply only to school district taxes. They don't apply to
property taxes for other purposes, such as county, town or city

Please note
the STAR Program changes *

As a result of recent law changes, some homeowners will receive a STAR check
directly from New York State instead of receiving a school property tax exemption.
The amount of your benefit will be the same regardless of how you receive it.

Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, new STAR applicants will need to register with the New York State Tax
Department at www.tax.ny.gov/star to receive a STAR check.
Therefore, if you recently bought a new home in the Town of Islip or
Suffolk County, you will need to register by September 1 to receive your check in
December. If you register after September 1, you’ll receive your check at a later
date.

Current STAR exemption
recipients

-- Current Basic and Enhanced STAR exemption
recipients will keep their exemption as long as they continue to own their current
home.

-- Current Enhanced STAR exemption recipients who
are not enrolled in the Income Verification Program must continue to file a
renewal application with their local assessor each year.

* The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has
developed a web based registration application, and phone registration for the
STAR Check program. To register or to ask questions please contact the State at
(518) 457-2036 or online at www.tax.ny.gov/star.